Getting Ready for Transfer Family Orientation

1. Register as a Guest to Attend Orientation

Students are encouraged to bring guests when attending orientation, as we offer a separate, concurrent family orientation program.

When your student reserves his/her orientation date in our online reservation system there is an option to register guests. Guests are assessed a $30 fee. This fee covers the costs of the family orientation program which include meals, staffing, parking, and materials provided throughout the session. Please make sure to pay the guest fee via our online reservation system in order to confirm your participation in our orientation program.

2. Reserve Your Overnight Accommodations

While we do not have accommodations on campus for students or guests during our transfer orientation sessions, you are encouraged to stay at one of our partner hotels in the area. Please visit our where to stay page for more information and to reserve your accomodations.

3. Review the Family Orientation Schedule

In order to make the most of your orientation experience we encourage you to review the family orientation schedule in advance of attending. It is important to note that the family orientation program runs concurrently with the student orientation program, and that guests and students are not together during the entire orientation program. There are a few sessions that students and guests will attend together, but the majority of the family orientation program will run concurrently with the student program.

4. Print Your Parking Pass

The orientation parking pass allows you to park in a designated parking lot on the Fairfax campus for free. This pass is specific to your orientation date so please be sure to download the correct pass to avoid any parking issues. Download the orientation parking pass, print out the pass and place the pass on your driver-side dashboard on when you attend orientation.

5. Encourage Your Student to Complete Important Items

We have provided a checklist for students that details all of the important items students should complete before attending orientation. As family members, we encourage you to help remind your student to complete the following before attending orientation:

It is important that students complete these items themselves so they fully understand Mason policies and processes, and will be prepared to navigate Mason systems when they begin classes.

6. Stay Connected as a Mason Family

Families are encouraged to join the Mason Family Association in order to receive our weekly e-newsletter, the Mason Family Flash. Our e-newsletter provides timely information for families which includes important dates and deadlines, events happening on campus for students and families, as well as information that covers key topics we know are important to our Mason families.

Also, follow-us on social media by liking our Facebook page for the George Mason Family Association!